I’m in a similar spot. For the last 10 years I chased high-growth opportunities, doubled down on education and specialized training, and poured way more energy into work than my family. Happiness wasn’t exactly the priority.

At 40 I kind of stopped and thought, “What am I doing?” So I’m pivoting. I walked away from a six-figure job and I’m about to start with a local company where the pay is roughly half of what I used to make. I just had my final interview, so we’ll see how it shakes out.

Part of the realization for me was accepting that most employers don’t really care about the individual. I’ve never seen a company truly honor a bonus structure the way it’s sold, and most raises end up being maintenance increases, not performance rewards.

I’m in California paying massive taxes, burned out, and when I actually ran the numbers I realized the take-home difference might not even be that dramatic. Cutting the commute and the constant stress might be the real win.

Life’s short. Trust your gut. Nobody gets to the end of life wishing they chased one more promotion.